David Filmore – Writer, Producer, Director and Superhero

[quote style=”boxed”]Ideas are easy; execution is always the hard part. I start by making a list and breaking that down into small actionable tasks. When you do that it no longer becomes overwhelming and you instantly see the path in front of you. Then you just need to walk it.[/quote]

David Filmore is an award-winning writer, producer and director. His filmmaking career began at the age of 9 when, using his family’s Hi8 camera, he shot a series of one minute stop-motion films with his toy robots, entitled CLANK! As host of the radio show David Filmore Live on KLAS FM 89.7, he has reported from the red carpet at numerous industry events, including the Academy Awards. Originally from Australia, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his passion for filmmaking. Drawing upon his background in literature and psychology, he strives to make good storytelling the heart of every project he creates for his production company Plutonian Films.

When not in front of or behind a camera, he patrols the mean streets of Los Angeles in costume as HERO MAN, a real-life superhero. He launched the website www.SaveMeHeroMan.com as a way for anyone in distress to contact him for help. This unique on-call superhero service has streamlined what was otherwise a haphazard process and has allowed him to quickly resolve over 50 cases so far.

David’s latest production, also called HERO MAN, is a documentary about his transformation into his costumed alter ego. The film tells the story of how after spending a month in the hospital and having his apartment robbed, he realized that life was short and sets out to pursue all of his dreams. The film follows Dave on his quest for justice and the dangerous extremes he goes to in search of adventure. The film is currently on the festival circuit and is slated for release in late 2012.

What are you working on right now?

Standing up for justice and hunting down scofflaws and ruffians wherever I find them. I am also in pre-production for a short film which I wrote and will direct, as well as putting together 2 other comedy features. I am also writing a rhyming children’s book and I’m in the planning stages of a multi-part sci-fi novel. Sometimes I think I will need 1,000 years to get all my ideas finished. Good thing cryogenics is available should the need arise.

Where did the idea for HERO MAN come from?

As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a superhero. At this point that sentiment has almost become a cliche, but I take is seriously. I would gladly submit to the experimental whims of a mad scientist if it meant I could get real superpowers. The back-story around HERO MAN came together a couple of years ago when I found myself in the hospital. I was there for a month and I realized that time is short and I’d better get to the work of making my dreams come true. Shortly thereafter, my apartment was robbed and the police never found the culprit or any of my stuff. I was disappointed by the lack of justice, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and become a real-life superhero. I wanted to find closure for what had happened to me and to help as many people as I could. Being a film director, it seemed only natural to film that process.

What does your typical day look like?

I try to mix up my schedule to throw off villains and stalkers. I like to go to bed late and wake up early. I start every day with green tea and more push ups than the day before. After that, I check email and a few choice websites to get the daily vibe. I try to write something every day; it’s the only way to keep my work evolving. And you can’t write well without reading constantly, so I read a lot classics and scientific journals. Usually I do this standing up or in a stress position to help build muscle tone. That’s followed by meditation and weapons training. Towards the end of the morning I leave an open block of time, which I fill with something different each day. One day it might be shopping, the next it might be collecting smooth glass I find on the beach or a session of sword sharpening. I then take a few meetings and have a late lunch. In the afternoon I review new “cases” that come in through my website and focus on the nitty-gritty of my various scripts and other projects. If there is a new case cooking, I will arrange to meet the potential client, usually in an underground parking garage. After that I workout by doing weight-training and parkour and then it’s home for dinner. In the evening I do some video editing before heading out on patrol to look for trouble in the seedier parts of the city.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Ideas are easy; execution is always the hard part. I start by making a list and breaking that down into small actionable tasks. When you do that it no longer becomes overwhelming and you instantly see the path in front of you. Then you just need to walk it.

What’s one trend that really excites you?

Empowerment of the individual. Barriers that used to stand between a talented person and what he/she wanted to achieve are disappearing. Or in most cases have completely vanished altogether. People no longer wait for their “big break;” now they just produce their work, put it online and share it with the world. This creative output is unleashing a new renaissance from which countless brilliant new ideas will spring and propagate. The other trend I love are OLED screens that are as pliable and flat as paper. Pretty soon they will be cheap enough to line your walls and ceiling with. At the touch of a button your room will display your vacation photos, the web or become a rainforest in HD. This simple product is just becoming available and it’s already poised to kill the TV screen and desktop computer, not to mention framed art and indoor house paint. You could also cover the outside of your car with it and drive a different colored car every day if you wanted. If crime would sleep, I could write a 10,000 page book on all the great new technologies that are about to explode on the scene.

What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?

I was a driver for a courier delivery company. Truly a soul-sucking occupation if there ever was one. It made me realize that you shouldn’t just work for money, you have to pursue your passions. Otherwise the next thing you know, you’ll be 50 and having a heart attack.

If you were to start again, what would you do differently?

I always knew what I wanted, but it took me longer than it should have to find the courage to pursue it. It’s like at the end of The Wizard of Oz when Glinda the Good Witch says to Dorothy, “you don’t need any help, you’ve always had the power… but you wouldn’t have believed me, you had to learn it for yourself.” Stop running around in circles and making your ruby slippers all schmutzy, just click them 3 times already. They’ll take you where you need to go.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I keep reminding myself of the wisdom in that old Guy Lombardo song It’s Later Than You Think. Stop wasting time, stop checking the news and your email 500 times a day; believe me, nothing happened. Focus on the work you know you should be doing, that’s where the real action is.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

The future is already here, it’s just poorly distributed. I read an article recently about this guy who was reminiscing about his days as a researcher at a university. On his desktop computer he enjoyed using the Internet, email and a CD burner–the year was 1987. The next great thing is already here, you just need to look hard enough to find it.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?

Crime. And I’m trying to change that every day by being a superhero. To alleviate even more human suffering, I would eliminate bad movies. There’s a particular kind of magic that great movies have that isn’t replicated anywhere else in the human experience. Making a movie isn’t something that should be taken blithely. Anytime I see a bad movie, it seems like a shame and a true waste of what might have been. Every day at work I try to write or produce something that hopefully will stem the ever-rising tide of tosh. The other fact I would change about the world is the one where I don’t own a fully-functioning Death Star.

Tell us a secret.

My favorite musical is Annie.

What are your three favorite online tools and what do you love about them?

YouTube: Where else can you get instant access to a movie-watching audience the size of a planet?

Kickstarter: I’ve helped fund several projects through this great site. It’s been a tremendous boon to entrepreneurs with great ideas that would otherwise never see the light of day.

Lending Club: There’s nothing like being paid like you’re a bank all while knowing that you’re helping people in need.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Engines of Creation by K. Eric Drexler. It’s a little dated at this point, but it contains the process by which humanity will overcome almost every single one of its biggest problems. A must read for every Earthling.

What’s on your playlist?

Two Perfect Moments – Tyler Bates

Young Blood – The Naked and Famous

Song 2 – Blur

Arcade Fire – Sprawl II

Little Bird, Little Bird – Elizabeth Mitchell

Drunk Girls – LCD Soundsystem (best music video ever created)

All is Love – Karen O & The Kids

Moby

Smashing Pumpkins

Theme music from Superman, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter

Annie soundtrack

The Beatles

The small snippet of music from the DVD menu from Lost in Translation

Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?

I don’t tweet. I find it hard enough to focus on what’s important without being virtually poked by a nettlesome website every 0.8 seconds. But if I had to choose, I would say David Letterman. He is just crotchety and doesn’t give a damn anymore. I love him.

When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?

Last night I was watching an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Danny DeVito is a national treasure. He seems so under-utilized by Hollywood; they should find a way of shoe-horning him into every movie that gets made. Same goes for Jeff Goldblum.

Who is your hero?

Anyone who pursues their dreams and doesn’t stop until they make them reality. And Superman.

The question I get asked most is, “how do you do what you do?” Whether they are referring to being a superhero or becoming a filmmaker, the answer is still the same. You just start. If you want to fight crime, begin today by training and learning all the skills that you need to know. Then make a costume and walk outside. The rest takes care of itself (but please be sensible and careful). If you want to make films, pick up a camera; they have never been cheaper or easier to use. Start today and read everything you can get your hands on. No magic person is going to enter your life to pluck you from obscurity and hand you everything you’ve ever wanted without you having to work for it. Always remember what Glinda the Good Witch said (see above).